Bat bag

ABSTRACT

A bag for carrying bats includes a bag having a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall. A dividing panel extends vertically within the bag and defines a front compartment and a rear compartment. A pair of shoulder straps is positioned outwardly of the rear wall of the bag. At least one pocket is secured to an interior surface of the bag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a bag for carrying bats and other objects, and, in particular, to a bat bag having an improved construction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bat bags are well known to help users carry bats, gloves, balls and other equipment used to play baseball and/or softball. Such bat bags allow the user to carry their bat or bats in one compartment while carrying their glove and other objects such as balls, water containers, keys, etc. in one or more other compartments.

It would be desirable to provide a bat bag that is easy to carry and that reduces or overcomes some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known devices. Particular objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and detailed description of certain embodiments.

SUMMARY

The principles of the invention may be used to advantage to provide a bat bag that is easy to carry and provides convenient and varied compartments for the storage of equipment. In accordance with a first aspect, a bag for carrying bats has a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall. A dividing panel extends vertically within the bag and defines a front compartment and a rear compartment. At least one strap is secured to an exterior of the bag. At least one pocket is positioned in the front compartment and secured to the dividing panel.

In accordance with another aspect, a bag for carrying bats has a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall. A dividing panel extends vertically within the bag and defines a front compartment and a rear compartment. An opening is formed in the rear compartment. At least one strap is secured to an exterior of the bag. A pocket is positioned in the front compartment and is secured to the dividing panel. An openable panel forms a portion of the front wall, with a lower edge of the openable panel being common with the front wall. The openable panel is suspended at its lower edge from the front wall when the openable panel is open. A panel pocket is secured to an interior surface of the openable panel and has an opening that is in a lower portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is closed and in an upper portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is open and suspended from the front wall.

In accordance with a further aspect, a bag for carrying bats includes a bag having a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall. A dividing panel extends vertically within the bag and defines a front compartment and a rear compartment. An opening is formed in the rear compartment. A pair of shoulder straps is positioned outwardly of the rear wall of the bag. A first pocket is positioned in the front compartment and is secured to the dividing panel. An openable panel forms a portion of the front wall, with a lower edge of the openable panel being common with the front wall. The openable panel is suspended at its lower edge from the front wall when the openable panel is open. A panel pocket is secured to an interior surface of the openable panel and has an opening that is in a lower portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is closed and in an upper portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is open and suspended from the front wall. A second pocket is positioned in a top portion of the front compartment, with a front wall of the second pocket being formed of a transparent material. A handle is secured to a top of the bag.

Substantial advantage is achieved by providing a bat bag as described herein. In particular, certain embodiments allow a user to compartmentalize the items carried in the bag, thereby preventing them from being tossed around as the bag is carried or moved. The provision of multiple pockets allows a user to more easily separate and find different items carried in the bag and carry more items in the bag.

These and additional features and advantages disclosed here will be further understood from the following detailed disclosure of certain embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bat bag.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bat bag of FIG. 1 in an open condition, with a left side wall of the bag removed for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a bat bag.

FIG. 4 is a side section view of another alternative embodiment of a bat bag.

The figures referred to above are not drawn necessarily to scale and should be understood to provide a representation of the invention, illustrative of the principles involved. Some features of the bat bag depicted in the drawings have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate explanation and understanding. The same reference numbers are used in the drawings for similar or identical components and features shown in various alternative embodiments. Bat bags as disclosed herein would have configurations and components determined, in part, by the intended application and environment in which they are used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention may be embodied in various forms. A preferred embodiment of a bat bag 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Bag 10 is formed of a plurality of panels including a front wall 12, a rear wall 14, a first or right side wall 16, and a second or left side wall 18. In the illustrated embodiments, a top 20 of the bag is formed by a topmost portion of front wall 12, which curves rearwardly and is connected to a top of rear wall 14. Similarly, a bottom 22 of the bag is formed by a bottommost portion of front wall 12, which curves rearwardly and is connected to a bottom of rear wall 14. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, a separate top panel and/or a separate bottom panel may be provided.

Although six particular sides or panels are described (including a top panel and a bottom panel), bag 10 can comprise fewer or more panels or sides, and be within the scope of the invention. For instance, the bag can be comprised of one continuous piece of fabric with no actual seams or junctures. Alternatively, bag 10 could even be formed with more than six panels or sides and corresponding seams or junctures therebetween.

A vertically extending dividing panel 24 is positioned within bag 10, defining a front compartment 26 and a rear compartment 28. Rear compartment 28 is especially suitable for containing bats. An opening 30 is provided in right side wall 16, providing access to rear compartment 28. In the illustrated embodiment, opening 30 is a zippered opening. It is to be appreciated that other types of releasable openers can be used with opening 30. It is also to be appreciated that an opening 30 can be provided in left side wall 18, either in conjunction with, or in place of, the opening 30 in right side wall 16 to provide alternative or additional access to rear compartment 28.

An openable panel 32 is provided in front wall 12. A lower edge 34 of panel 32 is common with front wall 12 such that when panel 32 is open, as seen in FIG. 2 in which left side wall 8 has been removed for clarity, panel 32 is suspended in inverted fashion from front wall 12. In certain embodiments, a zippered opening 36 defines panel 32.

As seen in FIG. 2, a first pocket 38 is formed in top 20 of bag 10, access to which is provided by an opening 40. In certain embodiments, opening 40 is a zippered opening. First pocket 38 is seated in rear compartment 28.

A second pocket 42 is formed in top 20 of bag 10, forwardly of first pocket 38. Access to second pocket 42 is provided by an opening 44. In certain embodiments, opening 40 is a zippered opening. In certain embodiments, a front panel 46 of second pocket 42 is formed of a clear or transparent material, e.g., plastic, advantageously allowing a user to see the contents of second pocket 42 when panel 32 is open. This is especially helpful when bag 10 is suspended vertically, e.g., when it is hanging from a fence.

A pair of shoulder straps 48 is positioned outwardly of rear wall 14. In certain embodiments, opposed ends of shoulder straps 48 are secured to rear wall 14. Shoulder straps 48 allow a user to carry bag 10 on their shoulders, which is especially advantageous when the bag contains a heavy load, and also allows frees the user's hands while they are carrying bag 10, which may allow them to carry additional items in their hands. In certain embodiments, an adjustable fastener or buckle 50 is provided on shoulder straps 48, allowing the length of shoulder straps 48 to be adjusted. Fastener or buckle 50 may be a D-ring, or any other suitable fastener allowing adjustment of shoulder straps 48.

A handle 52 may be provided at a top of bag 10. In certain embodiments, handle 52 is a strap and includes a soft pad 54 surrounding the strap, making carrying the bag more comfortable for the user. One of more clips 56 may be secured to bag 10, allowing bag 10 to be removably secured to another object, such as a fence commonly found at a baseball field. In the illustrated embodiment, two clips 56 are shown secured to handle 52. Suitable clips for securing bag 10 to other objects are well known to those of skill in the art.

One or more internal pockets may be provided in bag 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a pair of mesh pockets 58 is positioned on dividing panel 24. Pockets 58 have a releasable opening 60 at an upper edge thereof. Releasable openings 60 may have a fastener comprising a cord 62 and cord lock 64. Other fasteners for pockets 58 include, for example, zippers, snaps, and hook and loop fasteners. Other suitable fasteners for pockets 58 will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure.

An additional pocket 63 is positioned in the bottom portion of front compartment 26. Pocket 63 is especially suitable for shoes or cleats, since it is positioned in the bottom of front compartment 26, and the weight of the footwear will not act to crush or squeeze other objects in bag 10.

A panel pocket 66 is positioned on panel 32. In certain embodiments, panel pocket 66 is secured to the interior surface of panel 32, with an opening, which is a zippered opening 68 in the illustrated embodiment, provided proximate a bottom of panel pocket 66 when bag 10 is in a closed condition. When panel 32 is opened and suspended in inverted fashion from lower edge 34, panel pocket 66 is inverted as well, such that opening 68 is now proximate a top of panel pocket 66 and provides a user access to panel pocket 66. In a preferred embodiment, panel pocket 66 has a substantially triangular-shaped cross section, such that it's top, when it is in the inverted position with panel 32 in the open condition as seen in FIG. 2, is deeper than its bottom. In certain embodiments, as seen in FIG. 3, an additional zippered opening 69 is provided in panel 32, providing access to panel pocket 66 when panel 32 is in its closed position.

In other embodiments, panel pocket 66 is secured to the exterior surface of panel 32 (not shown). In such an embodiment, opening 68 is proximate the top of panel pocket 66 when panel 32 is in its closed position and opening 69 provides access to panel pocket 66 when panel 32 is in its suspended open condition.

A beverage holder 70 may be positioned on panel 32. As illustrated in FIG. 2, beverage holder 70 comprises a substantially cylindrical pocket, with an open top when panel 32 is in its open condition. Beverage holder 70 may be adjustable in certain embodiments, to accommodate different sized beverage containers. Thus, beverage holder 70 may be formed of an elastic material, or include an elastic element, in order to be flexible enough to accommodate different sized containers. In another embodiment, beverage holder 70 could be releasably secured to panel 32, such as with hook and loop fasteners, so that beverage holder 70 can be wrapped around the container and then secured to panel 32. Beverage holder 70 may be secured to the interior surface (as seen in FIG. 2) or the exterior surface of panel 32.

In certain embodiments, as seen in FIG. 3, one or more external pockets 72 may be found on bag 10. As seen here, an external pocket 72 is shown positioned on a lower portion of side wall 18. An opening 74 is provided in external pocket 72, providing access to the interior of external pocket 58. In the illustrated embodiment, opening 74 is a zippered opening. It is to be appreciated that any number of external pockets 72 may be provided on bag 10, and each external pocket 58 can have any desired shape and/or size.

It is to be appreciated that the shape and number of pockets within bag 10 can be varied. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the shape of the pockets within bag 10 can be configured to complement one another and maximize the use of the space within front compartment 26. As seen here, with panel 32 is in its closed condition, panel pocket 66 has its deeper portion at the bottom and its narrow portion at the top. A second panel pocket 76 is positioned on panel 32, above first panel pocket 66. Second panel pocket 76 is also substantially triangular in cross-section, with its deeper portion being positioned at the bottom and its narrow portion at the top. Second panel pocket 76 has a releasable opening 78, which may be a zippered opening. Opening 78 is proximate the bottom of second panel pocket 76 when panel 32 is in its closed condition, and will be proximate the top of second panel pocket 76 when panel 32 is in its open condition.

A third panel pocket 80 is positioned on dividing panel 24 opposite first panel pocket 66. Third panel pocket 80 has a substantially triangular-shaped cross section as well. However, third panel pocket 80 is inverted with respect to first panel pocket 66, such that its deeper portion is at its top and its narrow portion is at its bottom. Third panel pocket 80 has a releasable opening 82, which may be a zippered opening.

Similarly, a fourth panel pocket 84 is positioned on dividing panel 24 opposite second panel pocket 76. Fourth panel pocket 84 has a substantially triangular-shaped cross section as well. However, fourth panel pocket 84 is inverted with respect to second panel pocket 76, such that its deeper portion is at its top and its narrow portion is at its bottom. Fourth panel pocket 84 has a releasable opening 86, which may be a zippered opening.

Thus, it can be seen that the complementary shapes of the first-fourth panel pockets 66, 76, 80, and 84 are nested with one another, acting to maximize the space available in the pockets for storing items in bag 10. It is to be appreciated that other shapes and orientations of the pockets in bag 10 are possible. Other suitable orientations, quantities and shapes of the pockets in, and on, bag 10 will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure.

In light of the foregoing disclosure of the invention and description of various embodiments, those skilled in this area of technology will readily understand that various modifications and adaptations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. All such modifications and adaptations are intended to be covered by the following claims. 

1. A bag for carrying bats comprising, in combination: a bag for carrying bats having a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall; a dividing panel extending vertically within the bag and defining a front compartment and a rear compartment; at least one strap secured to an exterior of the bag; and at least one pocket in the front compartment secured to the dividing panel.
 2. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a closeable opening in one of the side walls providing access to the rear compartment.
 3. The bag of claim 2, further comprising a fastener for securing the closeable opening.
 4. The bag of claim 3, wherein the fastener comprises a zipper.
 5. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a closeable opening in the front wall of the bag.
 6. The bag of claim 5, further comprising a fastener for securing the closeable opening.
 7. The bag of claim 6, wherein the fastener comprises a zipper.
 8. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a pocket in a top portion of the bag.
 9. The bag of claim 8, wherein the pocket includes a zippered opening.
 10. The bag of claim 8, wherein the pocket has an opening formed in the front wall.
 11. The bag of claim 8, wherein the pocket is formed of a see-through material.
 12. The bag of claim 8, wherein the pocket is formed of a clear material.
 13. The bag of claim 8, wherein the pocket is formed of a mesh material.
 14. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pockets secured to an interior surface of the front compartment.
 15. The bag of claim 1, wherein the at least one strap comprises a pair of shoulder straps positioned outwardly of the rear wall of the bag.
 16. The bag of claim 15, wherein each of the shoulder straps includes a pad.
 17. The bag of claim 15, wherein the shoulder straps are adjustable.
 18. The bag of claim 15, wherein the shoulder straps are secured to an exterior of the rear wall.
 19. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a handle secured to an exterior of the bag.
 20. The bag of claim 19, wherein the handle comprises a strap secured at opposed ends thereof to the bag and a pad on an exterior surface of the strap.
 21. The bag of claim 20, wherein the pad surrounds a portion of the strap.
 22. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a pocket secured to an exterior of the bag.
 23. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a pocket formed in a lower portion of the front wall and accessible from an exterior of the bag.
 24. The bag of claim 1, further comprising at least one clip for suspending the bag.
 25. The bag of claim 1, further comprising an openable panel forming a portion of the front wall, a lower edge of the openable panel being common with the front wall, the openable panel being suspended at its lower edge from the front wall when the openable panel is open.
 26. The bag of claim 25, further comprising at least one pocket secured to an interior surface of the openable panel and having an opening that is in a lower portion of the pocket when the openable panel is closed and in an upper portion of the pocket when the openable panel is open and suspended from the front wall.
 27. The bag of claim 26, wherein the at least one pocket has a zippered opening.
 28. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a pocket in a top portion of the bag and formed of a see-through material, the pocket being visible through the front wall when the openable panel is open and the bag is suspended from an object.
 29. A bag for carrying bats comprising, in combination: a bag for carrying bats having a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall; a dividing panel extending vertically within the bag and defining a front compartment and a rear compartment; an opening formed in the rear compartment; at least one strap secured to an exterior of the bag; and a pocket positioned in the front compartment and secured to the dividing panel; an openable panel forming a portion of the front wall, a lower edge of the openable panel being common with the front wall, the openable panel being suspended at its lower edge from the front wall when the openable panel is open; a panel pocket secured to an interior surface of the openable panel and having an opening that is in a lower portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is closed and in an upper portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is open and suspended from the front wall.
 30. The bag of claim 29, wherein the at least one strap comprises a pair of shoulder straps.
 31. The bag of claim 30, wherein the shoulder straps are adjustable.
 32. The bag of claim 29, further comprising a handle secured to an exterior of the bag.
 33. A bag for carrying bats comprising, in combination: a bag for carrying bats having a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall; a dividing panel extending vertically within the bag and defining a front compartment and a rear compartment; an opening formed in the rear compartment; a pair of shoulder straps positioned outwardly of the rear wall of the bag; and a first pocket positioned in the front compartment and secured to the dividing panel; an openable panel forming a portion of the front wall, a lower edge of the openable panel being common with the front wall, the openable panel being suspended at its lower edge from the front wall when the openable panel is open; a panel pocket secured to an interior surface of the openable panel and having an opening that is in a lower portion of the pocket when the openable panel is closed and in an upper portion of the panel pocket when the openable panel is open and suspended from the front wall; a second pocket positioned in a top portion of the front compartment, a front wall of the second pocket being formed of a transparent material; and a handle secured to a top of the bag. 